Goldie Maracle signature

On this day in 1915, Goldie Maracle enlisted in Picton. He was born on December 10, 1898 in Tyendinaga, the son of Daniel William Maracle and Charlotte (née Bardy), who were Mohawks.

Maracle joined the 80th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force with the regimental number 220132. When he signed up, he was described as five feet five inches tall, with a sallow complexion, brown eyes and black hair.

Goldie’s service record shows that his unit sailed from Canada on May 16th, 1916. In England he was transferred to the 50th Battalion and he arrived in France in August 1916. He was wounded on November 16th of that year at the Battle of the Ancre with a shrapnel wound to his lower back and was hospitalized for some months. He was treated for an infection in May 1917 and returned to the front in September 1917. Maracle contracted trench fever in December 1917. In January 1918 he was admitted to hospital with pains in his legs and back. He was diagnosed with lymphadenitis. It was decided in July 1918 that he should be sent back to Canada. He arrived  on October 8th 1918 and was admitted to the Queen’s Military Hospital in Kingston to be treated for a recurrence of the earlier infection. He was clear of disease in February 1919 and was discharged in Kingston on March 24th, 1919, classed as medically unfit.

After the war, Goldie married Elsie Vanward in Picton on October 30th, 1924.